Low Fat No Bake Fiber One Cookies

This is a Weight Watchers recipe that are kind of like haystack cookies. I make them to get a little extra fiber into my 3 year old's diet. He could be the poster child for the dairy association! These are really great to give your sweet tooth a little fix, but are good for you and low point. If you make 24 of them they are only 1 point a piece. Not to be crude, but don't eat TOO many of these or else you'll spend all of your time in the bathroom!!!

Ingredients

1 pouch of Fiber One cereal (there are two pouches in a box)

1 ten oz. package of your favorite chips (chocolate, peanut butter, raspberry, milk chocolate, etc.)

Melt the chips in a large, microwave safe bowl in the microwave. I usually heat them for a minute and stir and then heat for an additional 15 and stir ... repeating until it the chips are melted. Empty a pouch of Fiber One into the bowl and stir until the cereal is coated well. Use your cookie scoop, and scoop them out onto parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Pop them in the refrigerator until set.

Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin

This is a Paula Deen recipe, so you can't ever go wrong with that. It was VERY easy, but takes an hour and 45 minutes total time ... so plan for that when you make it. I was out of one of the ingredients and substituted something else. It was great, but I will definitely be making it again with all of the ingredients called for. I got the $18 pork tenderloin on sale yesterday for only $9 so that was a great find! We had a TON left over. I made sandwiches from it for Brian and the boys today and then we'll have it for dinner tomorrow night, too. I may disguise it in something else. Anyway, here's the recipe. It would be very impressive served for guests.

Ingredients

1 (4 pound) boneless pork loin, with the fat left on
1 tablespoon of salt (this was a little salty ... I'll probably use just a little less, but I think the salt helps with the juiciness ... this was the most tender, juicy pork I've ever eaten)
2 Tbsp of olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp of dried thyme or 2 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves (I used dried because that's what I had)
1 tsp of dried basil or 2 tsp fresh basil leaves (I was out of basil so I substituted dried cilantro)
1 tsp dried rosemary or 2 tsp fresh rosemary (I used dried once again)

Preheat oven to 475 degrees

Place the pork loin fat side up on a rack in a roasting pan. (I had a roasting pan but no rack so I used the rack out of my toaster oven and it worked great.) Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. With your fingers, massage the mixture onto the pork loin, covering all of the meat and fat. Make sure it ends up fat side up.

Roast the pork for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees and roast for an additional hour. (I had trouble getting my old oven to the 425, so I cooked it only about an additional 45 minutes). Test for doneness using an instant-read thermometer. (I used one with the rotary face so it wasn't instant but I just stuck it half way through the roast in the middle.) When the internal temperature reaches 155 degrees, remove the roast from the oven. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes before carving. It will continue to cook while it rests (and will be cool enough to serve to guests).

Sloppy Chicken Enchilades, Version II

I got this recipe from Jill's recipe blog: Simple Daily Recipes Blog

She came up with the recipe when she was short for time and could only use what she had on hand. I used it last Thursday when I was in the same situation. Because I could only use what I had on hand, mine is different from hers, but based on the same principle. :o) To try her recipe, go to her blog. Here is my version of Jill's recipe.
Ingredients

2 cans of canned chicken breasts (the size that you can get 5 to a pack at Sam's)
1 tsp. of onion powder, or to taste
1 can of 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup of light sour cream
1 and 1/2 tsp of chili powder (less if you want it less spicy)
1 and 1/2 tsp of ground cumin
1 can (4 oz.) green chilis
1 can of drained rotel tomatoes (use mild if you want it to be less spicy)
8 corn tortillas
2 cups of 2% Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain the canned chicken, and mix it with the soup, sour cream, onion powder, chili powder and cumin in a large bowl. I used my kitchen shears to cut the tortillas into strips (bite sized pieces). Add the tortillas strips, green chilis, and drained rotels. Mix just until the tortillas are coated with soup mixture. Empty the mixture into a sprayed 9x13 casserole dish and cover with cheese. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly on top.

TIP: I didn't do this, but if you were going to serve it to people other than your kids :o), after it comes out of the oven, you could plate it and top it with shredded lettuce (I love buying the bags of this in the produce section for sandwiches, tacos, salads, etc.); seeded, diced tomatoes; a dollop of sour cream; sliced black olives and/or a dollop of guacamole.

Chewy Drizzled Cinnamon Cookies

Per your request, this one is for you, Tracey & Doug! These used to be your favorites before I made the Lemon Cheese Bars. These cookies are not some of the things I made with what I had on hand the other day, but I talked to Tracey this weekend, and she requested these. I got the original recipe from my sister-in-law, Terry. A big thanks to her! I make these throughout the year, but I always make a few batches around the holidays to give to people and for my family.

Ingredients

3/4 C. (one and a half sticks) butter, softened (this can be softened in the microwave for about 20 seconds or so on 50% power)
1 C. packed light brown sugar
1/4 C. of light corn syrup
1 egg
1 2/3 C (10 oz. pkg) Hershey's cinnamon chips, divided into 1 C. and 2/3 C. (these can be hard to find. In BCS I've only been able to regularly find them at Albertstons. Every now and then I think you can find them at HEB ... Kroger doesn't carry them even when several people have asked for them)
2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. shortening
1 cookie scoop (a must for this recipe ... you can find these in the kitchen gadget section in your grocery store or at a Walmart type store and of course a kitchen specialty store)
parchment paper (you can find this with the foil and plastic wrap in your grocery store)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat softened butter and brown sugar in a large bowl until fluffy. Add corn syrup and egg. Mix well. Place 1 cup of cinnamon chips in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute, then stir. (it will look like it didn't melt but if you stir it, the rest of the chips will melt) If necessary, microwave an extra 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating just until chips are melted when stirred. Stir melted chips into butter mixture. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt. Tip: I always use a whisk to stir together flour mixtures even when it calls for sifting the flour ... it works great for this. Add the flour mixture to the cinnamon butter mixture and beat just until blended. Use a cookie scoop to scoop out cookies onto the parchment paper paper topped cookie sheet. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until golden around the edges. Cool completely. While cookies are cooling, make the cinnamon drizzle by putting the other 2/3 c. of cinnamon chips and 1 1/2 tsp. of shortening (NOT butter, margarine or oil) in a small microwave safe bowl. Microwave it on high for about 1 minute and stir until the chips are melted and the mixture is smooth. Drizzle this mixture on top of the cooled cookies. You can use a fork or spoon to do this or you can put it in a quart freezer bag and cut the corner off. I usually just use a fork or spoon to drizzle it on the cookies. Makes about 3 dozen cookies depending on the size of the scoop.

Lemon Cheese Bars

Yesterday I had to bake a couple of desserts and make a salad for a ladies' church function, AND I had to fix a dinner for my family because I wasn't going to be here for dinner because I was going to be at that function. AND, thanks to tropical storm Erin, it was raining which meant I was NOT under any circumstances leaving the house with the kids to go to the store. So, I had to use what I had on hand. I'll be sharing those recipes over the next couple of days.

Anyway, here is one of the desserts I made. The original recipe came from The Cake Mix Bible. I didn't like the way the cheese part tasted, so I added a little extra. Here's my version of this recipe. As a tip, always keep cake mix on hand (I always pick up several different flavors when they are on sale for $1 a piece). You can make cookies and desserts like this when you are in a bind. Also, always keep some cream cheese on hand. I was glad I had picked up a couple of packages last time ... the expiration date is usually way out so I always pick up a couple when they are on sale (1/3 fat of course).

Ingredients

1 box of yellow cake mix with pudding in it
2 eggs
1/3 C. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 eight oz. package of 1/3 fat cream cheese (use full fat if you want)
3/4 C. sugar (less if you want it less sweet)
2 Tbsp. of lemon juice (more or less to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, ONE egg and oil in a large bowl; stir until crumbly. Reserve 1 cup of crumb mixture. Press remaining crumb mixture into ungreased 13x9 pan. (This will look like it is not enough, but it is ...just keep pressing it until it is all connected ... it will be a thin layer) Bake 15 minutes until golden brown. Combine remaining egg, cream cheese (I put it in the microwave for about 20 second to soften it), sugar, lemon juice, vanilla in a medium bowl and beat until smooth and well blended. Spread over baked layer. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Bake another 15 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack; cut into bars. I made 24 bars out of this, but the original recipe said 18 (those would be really big bars).

Cool Lemon Pie

Because it has been so darn hot in Texas the past couple of days, I offer this cool, refreshing dessert. It is one of my favorite pies ever. It is also super easy and no baking is required ... meaning you don't have to turn the oven on and heat up the house when it is 105 degrees outside! It comes from Weight Watchers Quick, Light and Healthy cookbook, and if you are counting points, it is 5 points for 1/10 of the pie ... not a lot of pie, but yummy.

NOTE: Serve this pie right out of the freezer. If you let is set out before you serve it, it will be too soft ... still delicious but it doesn't look as pretty glopped on the plate instead of nice and firm in a perfect pie triangle.

Ingredients

1 (14oz) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk

1 (6oz) can frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed and undiluted (I can't find 6 oz. cans here, so I just get the bigger can and use have and freeze the other half for later)

1 1/2 cups frozen reduced-calorie whipped topping, thawed

1 (6oz) reduced-fat graham cracker crust

Combine Sweetened condensed milk and lemonade concentrate; fold in whipped topping. Pour mixture into crust. Cover and freeze 8 hours or overnight. Cut pie into 10 equal slices.

Yields: 10 servings

Also, be sure to check out Shannon's recipe blog! She is a dear friend who is one of the best cooks I know! Her desserts are her specialty I think ... or maybe I just really like sweets. Anyway, be sure to check it out. Here's the link: A Dash of This and a Pinch of That

Cranberry Chicken

This is an old recipe, but this is my version. I made it last night for dinner, because it is one of the few things that BOTH my older boys love (for the moment ... you never know from meal to meal with preschoolers). I didn't have exactly everything the original recipe called for, and I added a little something extra. This version turned out much better than the original version, I think. I'll make it like this from now on.

Ingredients

6 to 8 chicken breast halves (can be boneless skinless ... that's what I used, or bone in like thighs, leg quarters, breasts etc. The chicken with the bone in it will take longer to cook and if the skin is on, it won't be low fat. :o)
1 bottle of Catalina dressing (I used the store brand Russian and it was GREAT)
1 package of onion soup mix (I didn't use a whole one ... probably 2/3 of one ... it was too strong and saltly using a whole package last time I made this)
1 can of jellied cranberry sauce
1 Tbsp (or to taste) of General Tso's Chicken Seasoning Mix (this gives it a little spicy kick - the original recipe called for dry mustard and that sounded boring and I'm not a big fan of that flavor) - I used Sun Bird brand General Tso's Seasoning.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Put the chicken in a sprayed 9x13 dish. Mix the dressing, soup mix, cranberry sauce, and General Tso's together and pour it over the chicken. Put it in the oven uncovered for about 30 to 45 minutes until the chicken is done. I served this over brown rice with plenty of sauce ladled over the chicken and rice. I also served it with some WONDERFUL green beans based on a Paula Deen recipe ... but that's a different recipe for another time.

The boys loved this chicken. I thought I would have plenty for dinner the next night, too ... but they each ate three helpings ... probably a whole half breast each! This will definitely become a family staple.

Rotel Squash

This recipe is one that my mother-in-law came up with I think. Anyway, I watched her make it and really liked it. My sister-in-law and I have tweaked it over the years and each do our own thing with it. Shout out to Amanda! It is very low fat, and a great way to cook squash. I used to hate squash, but when I was pregnant with my second son, I had to have this dish everyday!!! This is one of those recipes I don't measure anything for ... so just do what looks right to you.

Ingredients

Chopped sweet onion to taste (I usually use half a large, sweet Texas 1015 onion)
A little olive oil
1 - 2 cloves of fresh minced garlic (can use the jar kind if you want, but fresh tastes better)
A couple of yellow squash sliced about 1/4" thick
A zucchini squash sliced about 1/4" thick (I don't like zucchini so I don't add this when I'm
making it, but Amanda does and likes it)
If I have some baby carrots, I chop up some of those and add them, too.
1 can of Rotel tomatoes, drained a little (I use regular, but you can use mild, too)

Heat olive oil in a skillet (2 to 3 tsp should be enough) over a medium high flame. Add the onion and cook until a little tender. Add the garlic and cook a little more. If you are adding carrots, do that now and cook until a little soft. Add the squash. If you like your squash soft, cook it a little longer. I like mine a little firm, so I cook it until it is just tender but still a little firm. Add the can of Rotel tomatoes and cook until warmed through. I add a little extra salt to taste before serving it.

Sorry this recipe isn't very exact ... but that is generally how I cook (I don't bake that way ... you have to be exact there). My husband learned early in our marriage that if he liked something, he better enjoy it because it will rarely be exactly the same twice. :o) If it is something he likes, I try to measure and write it down when I cook it the next time. Anyway, hope you like the squash.

Do Ahead Mashed Potatoes

I searched for this recipe out of desperation. My husband is a mashed potato expert (don't even mention instant mashed potatoes to him). Since he loves mashed potatoes and most kids do, too, we were always asked to bring them to family gatherings. I hated it because you would always have to time it right and then be in the kitchen peeling and boiling and mashing potatoes while everyone else was visiting because they had brought something they could make ahead. So, I found this, and it is WONDERFUL! My husband even highly approves of it. Take this to your next holiday dinner celebration, and everyone will be amazed at how yummy these are! In this picture they are served with Frozen Pot Roast.

Ingredients

3 pounds of potatoes (about 9 medium)
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (I usually just use regular whipping cream because the heavy is expensive and I can only find it in larger containers and you only use 1/2 cup for this)
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

Scrub potatoes. Leave skins on, if desired, or peel thinly and remove eyes. Cut into large pieces. Heat 1 inch water (salted if desired) to boiling in a 3 quart pan. Reduce heat. Cook covered 20 to 25 minutes or until tender (don't over cook!). Drain potatoes. Shake pan gently over low heat to dry the potatoes.

Heat milk, whipping cream, butter, salt and pepper in a saucepan over medium low heat. Stir occasionally until butter is melted. Measure out 1/4 cup of the milk mixture. Cover and refrigerate it. This 1/4 of creamy milk mixture is the key to these tasting so good I think.

Add remaining milk mixture in small amounts to the potatoes in a medium bowl. Mash with potato masher or electric mixer after each addition. Don't over beat! The amount of milk needed to make the potatoes smooth and fluffy depends on the amount of starch in the potatoes. Continue adding a little and beating a little until the potatoes are light and fluffy.

Spray a 2 quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Spoon potatoes into casserole. Bake immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pour reserved milk mixture over the potatoes. Bake uncovered 40 to 45 minutes or until potatoes are hot. Just before serving, stir potatoes.

10 Cent Cheese Cake

Actually, the name of this cheesecake is Creamy, Dreamy Cheesecake. My husband's sister-in-law and I call it 10 Cent Cheesecake. Last summer she and I were at a garage sale, and I saw a really pretty pie plate. It had this recipe in the bottom of it as part of the decoration. The pie plate was only 10 cents! Thus the name. This is a wonderful recipe and not heavy like a lot of cheesecake recipes. Also, you don't have to have a spring form pan to make it. I made it last Christmas to go with the Elegant Lasagna.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C. graham cracker crumbs (you can buy graham crackers crumbs or you could just buy a ready made graham cracker crust ... the 9 inch or bigger)
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp butter melted

19 oz. cream cheese
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla (I use a full teaspoon)
3 eggs

Heat oven to 350 degrees. If you are not using ready made crust, mix crumbs and 2 T. sugar, stir in butter thoroughly. Press into bottom and sides of pie plate. Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool.

Reduce oven to 300 degrees. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large mixer bowl. Add vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time. Pour over cracker crust and bake one hour or until center is firm. Cool and top with sweet fruit if you like. Chill three hours.

Elegant Lasagna

This is the BEST lasagna you will ever eat anywhere in the whole world!!! I made this for my family's Christmas gathering last year, because we were all tired of turkey. Everyone RAVED over it. There is nothing low fat about it, and don't try to make it low fat. Let it be an indulgence. You can easily make it ahead and freeze it or split the recipe and do two 8x8 pans and freeze one of them. This was submitted to Central's cookbook by Kate Hancock.

Ingredients

1 T. butter
1/2 lb. of hot sausage (I use Italian sausage)
1 lb. ground beef
2 cloves of minced garlic (use fresh on this)
3 T. of parsley flakes
1 T. basil
1 tsp. salt
28 oz. can of diced tomatoes
12 oz. tomato paste
1 T. oregano
10 lasagna noodles
32 oz. of cottage cheese (I'm not crazy about cottage cheese but it is perfect in this)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
3/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1 lb. of grated mozzarella cheese

Brown meats in butter. Add garlic, 1 tablespoon of parsley, basiz, 1/2 tsp salt, tomatoes, tomato paste and oregano. Simmer meat mixture as you prepare the noodles and the cheese mixture. Cook noodles according to package directions and rinse in cold water to prevent sticking. Combine cottage cheese, eggs, 1/2 tsp. salt, pepper, other 2 tablespoons of parsley and Parmesan cheese.

To assemble: Arrange a layer of 1/2 the noodles in a lightly greased 13x9 pan. Spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Add 1/2 of the meat mixture. Add 1/2 the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or freeze. To bake it frozen, I would cook it about an 1 and 1/2, but check it at an hour. You could always take it out of the freezer the day before you want to cook it and thaw it in the fridge and then cook for 30 to 45 minutes at 375.

Chicken Breasts with Bacon

Okay, there is nothing low fat about this, but it is really good. If you are doing Atkins' diet, it would work great. You could make it lower fat and I'll give tips for that. This is an easy and quick dish but is impressive served. It makes a BUNCH, so you could half this recipe and have plenty for a large family for one meal. As a note, this can be made ahead and refrigerated until time to bake.

Ingredients

12 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 eight oz. package of cream cheese (you can use the 1/3 fat version)
10-12 green onions chopped fine
A couple of dashes of garlic powder to taste
24 slices of bacon (you could use center cut bacon or probably even turkey bacon)
12 - 24 toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350. Combine softened cream cheese (you can soften in the microwave for a few seconds), onions, and garlic powder. Form into 12 walnut sized balls. Wrap half a chicken breast around each cream cheese ball. Then wrap 2 slices of bacon around the chicken, covering as much of the chicken as possible. Secure with toothpicks, which can be removed before serving. Tip: Do this whole process one at a time. Wrap the chicken around the cream cheese ball and then wrap the bacon and toothpick it right away. Bake uncovered for an hour or until the chicken is tender. The original recipe says that this serves SIX! But, that would be if your family or guests ate TWO each. So, use your judgment about how much your guests will eat and how many this will serve.

Chicken & Rice Casserole

This is often the dish I cook when I want to take a meal to someone. It is one of my kids' favorites, and you can make it low fat if you want. It is easy and you have your protein and your starch cooked in one dish. You just have to add a vegetable on the side or a salad. It is an old recipe, but this is my version of it.

Ingredients

2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 pieces of chicken breast)
1 cup of uncooked rice (I haven't used brown rice with this, but if you do and it works well, let me know)
1 package of dry onion soup mix
1 can of cream of chicken soup (I use the 98% fat free, but you don't have to)
2 dashes of celery powder

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 dish with nonstick spray. Sprinkle the uncooked rice evenly across the bottom of the pan. (This won't look like much, but it it cooks up to make plenty of rice) Put the chicken on top of the dry rice. Sprinkle with the dry onion soup mix. Mix the soup with two cans of water and add the celery powder. Pour over the top of the chicken. Bake covered for about an hour or an hour and a half (depending on how large your chicken breasts are).

Tip: Make sure your chicken is thawed for this recipe. I tried doing it with partially frozen chicken breasts one time, and it took FOREVER to cook. It did not turn out well.

Hamburger Casserole

This is an easy, quick kid pleaser. Even my picky nephew likes this. It is a recipe from Central's cookbook and was submitted to the cookbook by Neicy Burleson. Enjoy!

1 pound hamburger meat
1 onion diced (I would use half that amount. It was a little too much onion for the kids' taste)
2 - 3T. chili powder (or to taste)
1 small can of tomato sauce
1 small package of cooked macaroni (drained) - any pasta you have on hand will work
1 can of golden mushroom soup ( you could use regular cream of mushroom but the golden is better)
2 Cups of shredded cheese of your choice (Cheddar, Mozzarella)

Brown meat and onion. Add chili powder and tomato sauce. Let simmer then add cooked macaroni. Pour the meat and macaroni mixture into a 9x13 sprayed baking dish. Spread one can of golden mushroom soup over top and place cheese over top of soup. Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted. The amt of cheese was left off the original recipe, so I'm just estimating how much I used.

Marinated Chicken

This isn't so much of a recipe as it is a meal idea. We are going to have this tonight, so I thought I would post it here.

Ingredients

KC Masterpiece 30 minute Marinade in Honey Teriyaki
Chicken - I use boneless skinless breasts

I put the chicken and marinade (enough to coat the chicken) in a ziploc bag and marinate it for 30 minutes and then grill. It is WONDERFUL and so easy. Just serve it with veggies and rice or potatoes or something like that. It also doesn't heat up the kitchen on hot summer days. You can get a bottle for about $3 and I can usually do 2 or 3 meals out of it.

Tip: If you buy chicken from Sam's and break up the large packages, you can pour some marinade into the freezer ziplocs and freeze them. Then the day before you want to grill, take out a package and thaw it in the fridge. It can be marinading while it is thawing.

Double Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

These are always a HUGE hit, and a recipe I'm often asked for. They have oatmeal in them, which is good because I'm always looking for ways to get more fiber to the kids. The recipe is an old recipe from Betty Crocker and one of the few recipes I've come across that I follow exactly. You can't really experiment too much with baking. Here's the recipe.

Ingredients

1 1/2 C. of sugar
1 C. of butter, softened (I usually soften butter in the microwave ... heat for about 20 seconds on 50% power)
1 egg
1/4 C. water
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 C. of all-purpose flour
1/3 C. of cocoa
1/2 tsp. of baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3 C. of quick cooking oats
1 six ounce package of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350. Mix sugar, butter, egg, water and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls (a cookie scoop makes this MUCH faster and makes a prettier cookie) about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. (I ALWAYS use parchment paper on my cookie sheet to bake my cookies on. It makes the process go MUCH faster. You can just slide the cookies and parchment sheet off onto the counter and put another piece of parchment on the cookie sheet, and it's ready for more cookies. You can find the parchment paper with the Saran Wrap and foil. If you've never used it, try it. You'll never bake cookies without it again.) Bake until almost no indention remains when touched, 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 5 dozen cookies depending on how big of a scoop you use.

Taco Seasoned Squash

CeCe shares her new veggie creation with us! Thanks, CeCe!

I cooked turkey tacos (I am on LA weight loss so....). I really have never associated "turkey" with anything good except baked turkey for Thanksgiving so this was a HUGE stretch for me. Anyway, after scooping out all the turkey meat/ taco mix , I noticed there was a lot of stuff left in the skillet. Lots of seasoning, bits of turkey browned....I thought there has got to be a way to use this to cook this yellow squash that I was FORCING myself to make. (I don't like many veggies unless they are fried. So LA weight loss and I have been chatting about new ways that I might be able to eat them). I cut the squash super thin and peppered them. Sprayed the skillet (left all the stuff in it and just sprayed lightly on top of it), and added the squash. I browned them on either side. OH MY GOSH.....my son and I fought over the whole skillet. IT was the best squash I have ever had and tasted fried but it really wasn't!! ; I tried it again the next day without all the taco seasoning. It was almost as good so I ate it again! There goes another vegetable that I can eat!! Yahoooo!

CeCe

Laura's Chicken & Salsa Soup

This is a super easy, super low fat soup. My husband does not like low fat things OR soup, and this is one of his favorite meals. I made it in a crock pot for a potluck lunch last Sunday and had several requests for the recipe. So, here it is. It is one of my "go to" recipes when I need something that turns out good every time. I've seen different versions online, but this is my take on it. I'll do the stove top version and the crock pot version.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in bite sized pieces (I use 2 cans of chicken from Sam's ... I know Martha Stewart and Rachel Ray would be COMPLETELY offended ... but for soup, I think it is fine)
• 1 3/4 C. of water
• I small can of diced green chilies
  
• 1 large onion chopped (I used chopped frozen onions for the potluck soup last week)
• 1 can of chicken broth (14.5 oz.) - I often use chicken bullion but if you want to cut down on the salt, use low sodium broth
• 1 1/2 tsp. of chili powder
• 1 tsp. of cumin powder
• 1 C. of loose pack whole kernel frozen corn (I have used drained canned corn before, but I think the frozen tastes better for some reason)
• 1 C. of thick and chunky salsa or picante sauce
• Garnishes - shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, tortilla chips. If you want to stay with the low fat version, buy all the low fat or baked varieties.

To make it in the crockpot, put all of the ingredients except the garnishes in the crockpot and put it on low for about 4 hours. If you are using raw chicken instead of canned chicken, cook the chicken first and then put it in the crockpot. To serve, crumble chips in the bottom of your bowl, then add cheese. Pour the soup over that and then top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of green onions!

To make on the stove top, put the chopped onion in the bottom of a non-stick pan with a little water or a little healthy oil. If it is a non-stick pan, the water should do fine. Cook those until tender an a little caramelized. Add the green chilies and cook a little longer. Add the water, broth, chili powder, and chicken. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat. Add the corn. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink (about 8 minutes or so) if you used the raw chicken. If you used the canned chicken, cook it until it is warmed through. Add the salsa and cook until warmed through. To serve, crumble tortilla chips in the bottom of your bowl and sprinkle with cheese. Ladle the soup over the chips and cheese. Top that with a dollop of sour cream and some green onions. DELICIOUS!

Low Fat Migas

No one has actually asked me for this recipe, which is funny that it is the first recipe I'm posting here. But, I had it for breakfast today, and it is SO good! Also, if you are doing WeightWatchers, it is only 6 points, and it gets in BOTH of your healthy oils for the day.

2 corn tortillas
2 tsp. of extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
1/4 c. of chopped onions or to taste (I use frozen chopped onions)
1/2 c. of drained Rotel tomatoes (or to taste ... less if you like it less spicy or use mild Rotel)
3 egg whites
1/4 c. of 2% shredded cheese

Before you get started, here's a tip. Get your egg whites ready (if you are actually using eggs and not a carton of egg whites) and get your tomatoes ready, too. Open the can and drain them.

1. Heat the evoo in a small skillet over a medium flame.
2. Tear the tortillas into small pieces and fry them until they are firm but not burned.
3. This is where I add my frozen chopped onions. If you are using fresh, go ahead and add them. Cook the onions until they are soft (quicker if you are using frozen onions)
4. Add the Rotel tomatoes. (Here's a tip ... if you are out of Rotel tomatoes, you can use chunky salsa ... won't be quite as good but it works) Cook and stir until warmed.
   
5. Add the egg whites and stir until cooked (firm).
6. Serve the Migas on a plate and sprinkle with the 1/4 c. of 2% cheese. Let it melt and add salsa if you want an extra kick!

This makes a LOT of food and could serve two if you add fruit, toast or ham on the side.